Travelers can find adventure in Kinston, Lenoir County
Even with inflation and gas prices skyrocketing, people are still flocking to Kinston and Lenoir County as vacation destinations.
For the kids, there is Lions Water Adventure water park at 2602 W. Vernon Ave. in Kinston; adults can find a different kind of fun in Kinston at Mother Earth Brewing, 311 N. Herritage St.
“We’ve been there for almost 15 years,” said Mother Earth Brewing owner, Stephen Hill. "It’s a nice place to come hang out. It’s very casual and dog friendly.”
Live music events with acts from all over are held every Friday night and the drink list boasts around 26 beers on tap. The building has historical significance — it was home to the first drive-thru pharmacy to ever exist in Kinston.
Hill is also the owner of the retro-chic Mother Earth Motor Lodge, at 501 N. Herritage St., a few blocks from the brewery. The renovated motel was originally built in 1963 as Kinston’s midtown Motor Lodge.
Mother Earth Motor Lodge has a pool, shuffleboard, mini-golf, and a quirky vibe that is reminiscent of some of the motels in Myrtle Beach back in the day.
Lions Water Adventure is a great place to bring the family, said Corey Povar, director of parks and recreation. Last year the park received a facelift of sorts with updates, new paint and structural improvements, Povar said.
He said Kinston has the Bill Fay Par-3 Golf Course, at 1003 Phillips Road, which is a fun way to slap the ball around without getting too serious. He said the next closest par-3 course is at least an hour away. The cost is $2 for 18 holes and is open Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It’s a wonderful place to bring your family, come out and spend the day,” Povar said. The park opened several months after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions eased in 2020.
Kinston’s local minor league baseball team, the Down East Wood Ducks, take the field at historic Grainger Stadium, built in 1949 at 400 E. Grainger Ave. Games are played throughout the summer months culminating in September with the end of the season. Game times and schedules can be found on the Down East Wood Ducks website https://www.milb.com/down-east.
Kinston also has a locally produced vodka called Socal House Vodka that is made at the Three Stacks Vodka Distillery at 906 Atlantic Ave. The space also houses the speakeasy, PumpHouse 1906. Adults may find the distillery interesting because of the process of using naturally occurring spring water in their distillation process.
“We will be celebrating our fifth anniversary of the launch of Social House Vodka and the first anniversary of the PumpHouse 1906, our tasting room and cocktail lounge, in August. We plan to have a series of special events, guest appearances, and live music throughout the month,” said Cary Joshi, owner of Social House.
PumpHouse 1906 is open Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., and Sunday from noon until 6 p.m. Tours are only available by appointment.
Joshi said there will be a special July 4th celebration with music and commemorative cocktails. Non-alcoholic mocktails are also available at PumpHouse 1906.
Jan Parson, director of special projects and events with Visit Kinston, part of the Lenoir County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said she has not heard of many visitors complaining about gas prices cutting into travel or vacation plans. She said a lot of visitors to the area have come from northern states like New York — people from large cities looking for a nice quiet place to maybe put a kayak in a river.
“We have several tours that we are featuring this summer to get people to come here. We have them for family, we have a shopping weekend; family tours. the Wood Ducks are always a fun thing for (families) to come to do. Our waterpark, that is included in the family tour,” Parson said.
For information on these tours and other activities in Kinston and Lenoir County visit https://visitkinston.com/things-to-do/#/.
This article originally appeared on Kinston/Jones Free Press: Travelers can find adventure in Kinston, Lenoir County
